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No one was injured in a multi-vehicle crash Thursday evening on Highway 7 south of Stony Mountain.

RCMP say just before 5:30 p.m. a Ford pickup truck was travelling south when it ran into the back of a Honda Civic. The car had stopped on the side of the highway to assist the driver of a Pontiac Grand Prix. The impact from the crash sent the Civic into the back of the Grand Prix. The Civic landed in the ditch, while the truck tipped on its side.

The Survivor Blanket reaches temperatures of up to 37°C once exposed to air. Stony Mountain Ski Area is one of the first retailers in Canada to carry the piece of emergency equipment. (HANDOUT)

A Stony Mountain, Manitoba company is one of the first retailers in Canada to carry an important piece of survival gear.

The Survivor Blanket is stored in a plastic pouch and accompanies most emergency/disaster kits. Once the pouch is opened, the blanket heats up when exposed to the air. The blanket heats up to 37°C or 100°F in 15 minutes and stays warm for 6-8 hours.

“We opened a blanket at 1 p.m. to demonstrate it to the ski areas and their emergency response teams,” said Robert Paige of the Manitoba Pro Ski Patrol.

Paige showed off the blanket recently to a meeting of the Saskatchewan/Manitoba ski areas.

“At midnight, 11 hours later, the blanket was still 30°C or 90°F.”

Stony Mountain Ski Area is currently selling the blankets at its resort and online for $10 to $35 depending on the size. The ski resort has already received interest from snowmobile clubs, EMS, fire departments and law enforcement to purchase Survivor Blankets for their vehicles and emergency kits.

The blankets have a shelf live of five years. A wearable vest model is also available.

The temperatures may be above seasonal, but that hasn’t deterred Stony Mountain Ski Area from opening this weekend.

The ski hill located just north of Winnipeg will be up and running for the season on Saturday. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday, skiers can take advantage of reduced-price lift tickets, and the Drop Zone run. More runs will open as the ski season progresses.

Stony Mountain Ski Area is located 11 km north of the Perimeter Highway on Highway 7.